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When Emmanuelle Gattuso learned in 2002 that doctors had spotted something suspicious during a routine mammogram she thought, “No, no."

Emmanuelle Gattuso was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2002. She says she never forgot the care she recieved at Princess Margaret Hospital. (TARA WALTON / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

Allan Slaight is a broadcasting legend who built a radio empire to become one of the country’s richest men. According to a recent list by Canadian Business magazine, the Slaight family ranks No.28 among the nation’s wealthiest and is worth a reported $1.97 billion.

By Isabel TeotonioLife Reporter

Tues., Jan. 22, 2013

When Emmanuelle Gattuso learned in November 2002 that doctors had spotted something suspicious during a routine mammogram she thought, “No, no, God’s not going to do that to me.”

She had already suffered her share of cancer-related grief. Both her best friend and mother had died of ovarian cancer in the preceding weeks and her sister was a breast cancer survivor.

The news was not good. Gattuso was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“Your whole world turns upside down,” she recalled. “And you don’t know how long you’re going to be here.”

But the cancer was caught early and she underwent treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital. She hasn’t forgotten the care she received there.

The private donation — the largest of its kind in Canada for cancer research — will go into a “superfund” so that the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre can attract the world’s best scientists in personalized cancer medicine.

“Cancer is the leading cause of death,” Gattuso, 65, told the Star, following a media conference, during which the announcement was made. “And if you can do anything that will help others have a better experience, and hopefully lead to a cure, you just want to do it.”

To date, Gattuso, her husband, who was not at the media conference, and the Slaight family have committed $72 million to the foundation. (In 2009, they donated $22 million to create The Gattuso Rapid Diagnostic Centre at the hospital.)

Last year, the Toronto couple was named Philanthropists of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Allan Slaight is a broadcasting legend who built a radio empire to become one of the country’s richest men. According to a recent list by Canadian Business magazine, the Slaight family ranks No.28 among the nation’s wealthiest and is worth a reported $1.97 billion.

The $50 million donation will be distributed over ten years and is provided through The Slaight Foundation. In Canada, foundations are not eligible for tax receipts.

“This gift, literally, is a game-changer for cancer research,” said Paul Alofs, president and CEO of University Health Network.

Personalized cancer medicine uses genetic profiling of tumours to aid in earlier detection, a more precise diagnosis and to provide targeted treatment. This means, for instance, that two people diagnosed with breast cancer may undergo very different treatment because the genetic makeup of their tumours is different. Targeted treatment and immune therapy — a way to reactivate the immune system against tumours — could lead to cures.

“This superfund will enable us to build and support research teams focused on precision genomics, advanced tumour biology, immune therapy and molecular imaging,” said Dr. Benjamin Neel, director of research at the centre.

“It will enable us to accelerate groundbreaking research and translate it to the clinic, helping us move from rapid diagnosis, to rapid molecular diagnosis, and ultimately, we hope, to durable cures.”

The family donation is a big boost to the foundation’s campaign to raise funds for personalized cancer medicine, dubbed the Billion Dollar Challenge. Since its launch in April 2012, $243 million has been raised through philanthropic support and scientific grants.

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